U.S. border officers could face Canadian justice for serious crimes under pact

A U.S. border officer who commits an on-duty crime in Canada would generally face justice in an American court under a new binational agreement.

But if the crime is murder, terrorism or sexual assault, a trial could take place in Canada, according to the agreement made public this week.

The fine print of the deal sets out a complex regime for determining officer accountability on both sides of the border under the Canada-U.S. preclearance scheme, which expands the American customs presence on Canadian soil.